Narratieve

Narratieve is an adjective in Dutch that denotes relate to or characteristic of narrative or storytelling. It is used across disciplines such as literature, film, journalism, and psychology to describe how stories are constructed, presented, and understood. In everyday language, it can describe anything that has a story-like or storytelling orientation, including narratives in media, personal recounts, or research analyses.

Etymology and usage notes

The term derives from the Latin narrativus and the French narratif, transmitted into Dutch through historical use of the related adjective narratief. In Dutch, narratief and its inflected form narratieve are employed to agree with the noun they modify, as in phrases such as narratieve structuur (narrative structure) or narratieve vertelling (narrative telling).

Applications in fields

In literature and film studies, narratieve elements include plot, characters, point of view, voice, and chronology. Analysts examine how narrative perspective, pacing, and non-linear timelines shape meaning and audience engagement. In psychology and related therapies, the concept appears in terms such as narratieve identiteit (narrative identity) and narratieve therapie, which emphasize how personal stories influence self-understanding and change. In journalism and digital media, narratieve storytelling is used to organize information around a coherent story arc, often to enhance accessibility and emotional resonance.

Relation to related terms

Narratieve is often contrasted with non-narrative or expository writing, highlighting the difference between story-centered and fact-centered communication. While closely linked to the broader concept of narrative, narratieve specifically signals the storytelling-oriented, interpretive, or experiential aspects within Dutch discourse.

See also

Narrative, narrative therapy, narratief, narratieve identiteit.